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Doomsday Book

For Oxford student Kivrin, traveling back to the 14th century is more than the culmination of her studies - it's the chance for a wonderful adventure. For Dunworthy, her mentor, it is cause for intense worry about the thousands of things that could go wrong.

The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories

Here are the greatest stories of one of the greatest writers working in any genre today. All ten of the stories gathered here are Hugo or Nebula award winners - some even have the distinction of winning both. With a new Introduction by the author and personal afterwords to each story, plus a special look at three of Willis' unique public speeches - this is unquestionably the collection of the season, an audiobook that every Connie Willis fan will treasure.

Bellwether

Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennett O'Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they find a joint project in a flock of sheep. But a series of setbacks and disappointments arise before they are able to find answers to their questions - with the unintended help of the errant, forgetful, and careless office assistant Flip.

Lincoln's Dreams

For Jeff Johnston, a young historical researcher for a Civil War novelist, reality is redefined on a bitter cold night near the close of a lingering winter. He meets Annie, an intense and lovely young woman suffering from vivid nightmares. Haunted by the dreamer and her unrelenting dreams, Jeff leads Annie on an emotional odyssey through the heartland of the Civil War in search of a cure. On long-silenced battlefields their relationship blossoms–two obsessed lovers linked by unbreakable chains of history, torn by a duty that could destroy them both.

Inside Job

Rob, a professional debunker, is watching yet another performance by a supposed psychic. But as she calls forth the spirit entity known as Isus, another voice suddenly interrupts. And this one is so unexpected and so real, even the hardened skeptic finds he can't help but believe.

The Spaceship Next Door

When a spaceship landed in an open field in the quiet mill town of Sorrow Falls, Massachusetts, everyone realized humankind was not alone in the universe. With that realization everyone freaked out for a little while. Or almost everyone. The residents of Sorrow Falls took the news pretty well. This could have been due to a certain local quality of unflappability, or it could have been that in three years the ship did exactly nothing other than sit quietly in that field, and nobody understood the full extent of this nothing the ship was doing better than the people who lived right next door.

Remake

In Remake, Connie Willis explores the timeless themes of emotion and technology, reality and illusion, and the bittersweet place where they intersect to make art. It's the Hollywood of the future, where moviemaking has been computerized and live-action films are a thing of the past. It's a Hollywood where Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe are starring together in A Star Is Born, and if you don't like the ending, you can change it with the stroke of a key. A Hollywood of warmbodies and sim-sex, of drugs and special effects, where anything is possible.

Not Alone

When Dan McCarthy stumbles upon a folder containing evidence of the conspiracy to end all conspiracies - a top-level alien cover-up - he leaks the files without a second thought. The incredible truth revealed by Dan's leak immediately captures the public's imagination, but Dan's relentless commitment to exposing the cover-up and forcing disclosure quickly earns him some enemies in high places.

The Book of Ralph

A message appears on the moon. It is legible from Earth, and almost no one knows how it was created. Markus West leads the government's investigation to find the creator. The message is simple and familiar. But those three words, written in blazing crimson letters on the lunar surface, will foster the strangest revolution humankind has ever endured and make Markus West wish he was never involved.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

A Bachelor Establishment

High adventure and dark mystery combine in a sparkling historical romance, by Jodi Taylor writing as Isabella Barclay from The Chronicles of St. Mary's. Bascombe, widowed and tied to an impoverished estate, has learned to ask little of life. With no hope of leaving, the years have passed her by. Lord Ryde, exiled abroad after a scandal, has returned to strip his estate and make a new start in America.

The Delphi Effect: The Delphi Trilogy, Book 1

It's never wise to talk to strangers...and that goes double when they're dead. Unfortunately, seventeen-year-old Anna Morgan has no choice. Resting on a park bench, touching the turnstile at the Metro station - she never knows where she'll encounter a ghost. These mental hitchhikers are the reason Anna has been tossed from one foster home and psychiatric institution to the next for most of her life.

The Nothing Girl

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The Mists of Avalon

A posthumous recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, Marion Zimmer Bradley reinvented - and rejuvenated - the King Arthur mythos with her extraordinary Mists of Avalon series. In this epic work, Bradley follows the arc of the timeless tale from the perspective of its previously marginalized female characters: Celtic priestess Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and High Priestess Viviane.

Too Like the Lightning: Terra Ignota, Book 1

Mycroft Canner is a convict. For his crimes he is required, as is the custom of the 25th century, to wander the world being as useful as he can to all he meets. Carlyle Foster is a sensayer - a spiritual counselor in a world that has outlawed the public practice of religion, but which also knows that the inner lives of humans cannot be wished away.

The Invisible Library

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant, Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission: to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Every Anxious Wave

Why would we need music if our lives were exactly as we wanted them to be? Karl Bender is a quiet guy who lives in three places: his bar, his apartment, and the cheap Mediterranean place on the corner that keeps him well fed with his daily portion of hummus and chicken shwarma. But that's all about to change. When he stumbles upon a time-traveling wormhole, Karl develops a business selling access to people who want to go back in time to hear their favorite bands.

The Fold

The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn't much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he's content with his quiet and peaceful existence. That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve.

Spinning the Moon

In the Shadow of the Moon: When Laura Truitt first sees the dilapidated plantation house, she's overcome by a sense of familiarity. Inside, the owner claims to have been waiting for years and offers an old photograph of a woman with Laura's face. Soon afterward, when a lunar eclipse inexplicably thrusts Laura back in time to Civil War Georgia, she finds herself fighting not just for her heart but for her very survival.

Replica

Lyra's story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close, the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects - Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72 - manage to escape.

Seveneves: A Novel

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The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

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Publisher's Summary

Dr. Joanna Lander is a psychologist specializing in near-death experiences. She is about to get help from a new doctor with the power to give her the chance to get as close to death as anyone can.

A brilliant young neurologist, Dr. Richard Wright has come up with a way to manufacture the near-death experience using a psychoactive drug. Joanna’s first NDE is as fascinating as she imagined — so astounding that she knows she must go back, if only to find out why that place is so hauntingly familiar.

But each time Joanna goes under, her sense of dread begins to grow, because part of her already knows why the experience is so familiar, and why she has every reason to be afraid. Yet just when Joanna thinks she understands, she’s in for the biggest surprise of all — a shattering scenario that will keep you feverishly reading until the final climactic page.

What the Critics Say

“A true heir to John Donne, Kurt Gödel and Preston Sturges, a wit with a common touch who’s read more great books, and makes better use of them in her work, than two or three lit professors put together.” (Newsday)

“Willis has developed an idea that bears all the authority of a genuine insight: disturbingly plausible, compelling, intensely moving, and ultimately uplifting.” (Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review)

During the course of this novel, my attitude shifted from eager interest, to patient progress, to determined resolve, to anguished plodding, to absolute fixation. Ms. Willis has this way of making you feel so comfortable in the worlds she creates that you begin to grow attached to her characters, while putting up with things you know full well are bad decisions or wrong attitudes on their part. And then things happen, that make you terribly invested in the outcome. This was an easier process to endure in the Oxford Time Travel books because of the immediate and understandable hazards at play there, plague, the blitz, the end of time as we know it, etc. It seems to work well in her shorter novels too. Passage suffers, I think, from its generally "normal" setting and hefty length, taking a little too long to get where it needs to go, and in the process making the protagonists seemed by turns close-minded and scatterbrained. Of course, then that moment comes along and the stakes are suddenly different, or are revealed for what they truly are as the case may be, and you're back on board again.

Where the author continues to excel is creating a broad cast of characters that all have their own problems and deal with them in their own ways. I have always enjoyed Ms. Willis's portrayal of people facing adversity, and this book has some great examples of that, both in the discussions of historical disasters, and the everyday troubles of people who find themselves in the employ, or requiring the services, of a hospital. The hospital itself seems to be a character, as many plot points revolve around the inability of anyone to reach anything by taking a logical route. This is played for laughs regularly, and it's surprising how it can still be funny even near the end.

My overall score is based on my complete impression of the book, including my particular fondness for most of Ms. Willis's characters, however much I feel the story may be lacking. I also loved the ending.

I'm a Connie Willis fan. My favorite is To Say Nothing of the Dog. I've also read The Doomsday book, Blackout and All Clear. This book, Passages, was my least favorite. You have to get to hour 12 of the recording before anything really happens in the story. Then, another 12 hours of listening for something else to happen. In between, it's just the same details over and over........and over again. By the 24th hour, I couldn't care less what happened to the characters, I just wanted the book to end!

Audiobook. Passage is just over twenty-nine hours of audiobook, at least ten hours too long. The book has tons of reviews, in many you’ll find a synopsis of the story, so I’ll refrain from repetition. This, in my opinion, is one of the problems with Passage. There are many, many instances of repetition, all over the board with regard to topic, some repeated more than once. Enough. You get the idea. Get the abridged version, if you care to pursue.

With regard to fundamental beliefs, I’ve no bone to pick with Connie Willis. All of human kind has struggled with the answer of what happens after death. This is simply one opinion I can’t say I believe, although the theories of brain activity are indisputable scientific facts. The thought process resulting from this physiciological activity, is still, and probably always will be, speculative … and fodder for fictional authors.

An entertaining read. The ending is a bit of a let down. In my opinion, it is hardly breathtaking, as some reviews state.

Having said that, good is still pretty good. The basic premise seemed a bit oversimplified for a neurosurgeon to let himself fall into and there was a lot of repetition near the end to where it felt a bit like today's favorite genre "the gaming puzzle" format. Usually, her wit and writing take the mechanics in hand, but here, I got a little worn out from the layers of puzzle/literal twists/maps/clues format versus her usual good banter/hints of relationships. I could have cared more or sensed closer relationships among the main characters... but it's nitpicking. Overall, a good read and a superior performance. I'm not complaining really - this was better than MANY books I get, just not better than some of Connie Willis's...which is a little unfair.

I'm also a sucker for near death and /or time travel. So she was playing right into my hands here... and I realize not every single book can hit on all fronts. Go ahead, get it. I'm not sad about the purchase at all. I mean I didn't really expect her explain life after death (I did have hopes...). It was just more TV than movie - but sometimes, that's okay.

I would listen again. Actually I find all of Ms Willis's books that I have read worth the re-reading. This is no exception. I found I cared about the characters and what they were learning and doing. I also found the narrator is a good match for the tone and content of the story.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the mix of plot tension with character development. Some readers / listeners may complain of "pseudoscience," but I think the point isn't "Gee this might be true," but rather the point is, "I can see these people doing these things in this situation," and I care about them.In another vein, I think this story compares very favorably with "The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier. If you liked that book, I believe you would like "Passage." If you didn't like "Brief History...", you may like "Passage" nevertheless.

Have you listened to any of Dina Pearlman???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to Clementine by Cherry Priest. I guess this compares favorably, because I didn't realize I had heard Dina Pearlman before until I looked at my library to see if she is there. Since I didn't remember her reading of Clementine, that says to me that she is unobtrusive enough as a reader that I wasn't distracted by her reading from the content of the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did laugh at places in "Passage." I didn't actually cry, but there are places in the story that would be suitable for a "bitter sweet" label.

Any additional comments?

Once again, just to say I have enjoyed each Connie Willis book that I have read or listened to. I find "To Say Nothing of the Dog: Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last" to be one of the most perfect books I have ever read (or listened to).

This book has an interesting premise but the plot takes entirely too long to develop. I gave it the benefit of the doubt-- I believed that some of the more meandering passages would have a payoff. But they didn't. There is no character development, no meaningful subplot, nothing that kept me invested in the plot.

The narration was okay. Given the material, the narrator did her best, I'm sure. I just didn't think there was enough variation between the voices. All of the characters were flat in every way.

I love most of what Connie Willis has written. Interesting, provocative, entertaining. She seems to have lost all that in this book. The audio performance was wonderful - otherwise I would never have made it through this book. The story seems to be confused in what message it is trying to send and confuses reality with dream like events.

This is a book about near death experiences - a dangerous topic in any venue. She brings in the religious and scientific aspects - but never really does anything with them. You are left wondering why you just spent 29 hours of audio book time listening to the book.

Now the performance is great. The reader handles all the characters very well and made it bearable. But I would avoid this book.

During the course of this novel, my attitude shifted from eager interest, to patient progress, to determined resolve, to anguished plodding, to absolute fixation. Ms. Willis has this way of making you feel so comfortable in the worlds she creates that you begin to grow attached to her characters, while putting up with things you know full well are bad decisions or wrong attitudes on their part. And then things happen, that make you terribly invested in the outcome. This was an easier process to endure in the Oxford Time Travel books because of the immediate and understandable hazards at play there, plague, the blitz, the end of time as we know it, etc. It seems to work well in her shorter novels too. Passage suffers, I think, from its generally "normal" setting and hefty length, taking a little too long to get where it needs to go, and in the process making the protagonists seemed by turns close-minded and scatterbrained. Of course, then that moment comes along and the stakes are suddenly different, or are revealed for what they truly are as the case may be, and you're back on board again.

Where the author continues to excel is creating a broad cast of characters that all have their own problems and deal with them in their own ways. I have always enjoyed Ms. Willis's portrayal of people facing adversity, and this book has some great examples of that, both in the discussions of historical disasters, and the everyday troubles of people who find themselves in the employ, or requiring the services, of a hospital. The hospital itself seems to be a character, as many plot points revolve around the inability of anyone to reach anything by taking a logical route. This is played for laughs regularly, and it's surprising how it can still be funny even near the end.

My overall score is based on my complete impression of the book, including my particular fondness for most of Ms. Willis's characters, however much I feel the story may be lacking. I also loved the ending.

Loved the concept, liked the story. The story draws you in and you really can't quit till the end. My Only complaint is that it was a little to long and there was way to much of the samesituation happening over and over. Got on my nerves a couple of times.That being said, I did like the story

Great concept but the story was paced quite slowly and lacked some richness in its journey. Bit disappointing.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Janice

11/17/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Thought Provoking"

What made the experience of listening to Passage the most enjoyable?

Lovely narrator who you felt had the spirit of the story just right.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely a non stop listen, made me very antisocial!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Val Durow

7/2/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Absolutely gripping from start to end"

What made the experience of listening to Passage the most enjoyable?

The narrative - it's exciting, yet truly throws you half way through. I remember reading the book some several years ago, being really gripped, reading it through the night while on holiday. The book stayed in my mind, if not the details, finding it again, listening this time, not being able to stop, but not wanting it to end.

What other book might you compare Passage to, and why?

I think Kate Atkinson's Life after Life and A God in Ruins have some echoes.

Any additional comments?

This is a book I would highly recommend. Very few books reduce me to tears, make me emotional, but this one does.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Ms Amanda Thompson

Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire United Kingdom

4/7/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Repetitive and Medical"

Would you try another book written by Connie Willis or narrated by Dina Pearlman?

No.

Would you be willing to try another book from Connie Willis? Why or why not?

Probably not unless it was totally away from anything medical.

What aspect of Dina Pearlman’s performance might you have changed?

Rememberance of characters voices and giving each their own.

Do you think Passage needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, no, no. There is nothing more to say if written in the same style.

Any additional comments?

This book is laborious, repetitive and contains too much medical information which really just was used as fluff to fill a page. Many of the chapters contained the same phrases, the same speeches and dully the same medical references. The idea was good but it was like reading a failed dissertation or rejected medical paper.The book could have been half the length and more enjoyable.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Greg

Seaford, United Kingdom

4/29/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Titanic Entertainment"

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes I would, good story, took a while to get into it, however had a few twists but a good ending

What other book might you compare Passage to, and why?

Similar to her other books, past and present, very good detail and obviously lots of research.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I guess the ending, but cant say too much!

Was Passage worth the listening time?

yes

Any additional comments?

good listen while out on the bike!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mr

Old Woking, United Kingdom

8/18/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Enjoyable"

What made the experience of listening to Passage the most enjoyable?

The story flowed nicely and the main character was sympathetic.

Would you recommend Passage to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, for the unusual nature of the storyline and the good way in which it was written

Have you listened to any of Dina Pearlman’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Not yet

Any additional comments?

The subsidiary characters were deeply annoying, it felt that they were written that way to aid in plot development but I was hoping the old guy and the kid would shut up!!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

sarahmoose2000

4/21/13

Overall

"What's the hidden message?"

It's hard to say too much about this listen, without spoiling it. So I will say that it's a totally intriguing concept about NDEs (near death experiences).

A psychologist and neurologist join forces against a fame seeking doctor; to examine what exactly happens when you die.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Terry

GLASGOW, United Kingdom

4/13/13

Overall

"passage"

really didn't know what to expect when I started to read this and maybe at the very beginning it was a bit too strange but I perserved and was really glad that I did. A strange tale but thought provoking and incredibly sad in places. Well worth a read.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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